A. 2. Our keeping the commandments must be uniform. We must make con- science of one commandment as well as an- other, Ps. cxix. 6., " Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect to all thy commandments." Every commandment hath a Jus divinum, — the same stamp of di- vine authority upon it ; and if I obey one precept because God commands, by the same reason I must obey all. Some obey the commands of the first table but are careless in the duties of the second ; and so, e contra. Physicians have a rule, when the body sweats in one part, but is cold in another, it is a sign of a distemper : so when men seem zealous in some duties of religion, but are cold and frozen in others, it is a sign of hypocrisy. We must have respect to all God's commandments.
Quest. Bttt who can keep all his com- mandments ?
Ans. There is a fulfilling of God's com- mands, and a keeping of them ; though we cannot fulfil all, yet we may be said to keep them in an evangelical sense. We may facere, though not perficere. We keep the commandments evangelically, \st. Wliere we make conscience of every com- mand; though we come short in every du- ty, yet we dare not neglect any duty. 2d. Our desire is to keep every commandment, Ps. cxix. 5., " O that my ways were di- rected to keep thy statutes !" What we want in strength we make up in will. 3</. We grieve that we can do no better ; when we fail, we weep ; we piefer bills of com- plaint against ourselves, and judge our- selves for our failings, Rom. vii. 24. Ath. We do elicere conatum, — we endeavour to obey every commandment, Phil. iii. 14., " I press toward the mark." We strive as in agony ; and, if it lay in our power, we would fully comport with every command- ment. 5lh. When we fall short, and are
unable to come up to the full latitude of the law, we look to Christ's blood to sprin- kle our imperfect obedience, and, with the grains of his merits cast into the scales, to make it pass current; this is in an evangeli- cal sense to keep all the commandments, and though it be not to satisfaction, yet it is to acceptation.
A. 3. Our keeping God's commandments must be willing, Isa. i. 19., " If ye be wil-
for
((
free-
ling and obedient." God was will offering," Deut. xvi. 10. David will run the way of God's commandments, Ps xix. 32., that is, freely and cheerfully. The lawyers have a canon, adverbs are better than adjectiA'es : it is not the bonum. but the bene, — not the doing much, but the doing well. A musician is not commended for playing long, but for playing well ; it is obeying God willingly is accepted ; virtus nolentium nulla est, — the Lord hates that which is forced, it is rather paying a tax than an offering. Cain served God grudg- ingly ; he brought his sacrifice not his heart. To obey God's commandments unwillingly is like the devils who came out of the men possessed, at Christ's command, but with reluctancy, and against their will, Mat. viii. 29. Obedientia prcest and non est a timore poena sed amore Dei ; good duties must not be pressed nor beaten out of us as the wa- ters came out of the rock, when Moses smote it with his rod, but must freely drop from us, as myrrh fi'om the tree, or honey from the comb. If a willing mind be wanting, there wants that flower which should per fume our obedience, and make it a sweet smelling savour to God. That we may keep God's commandments willingly, let these things be well-weighed :
I. Our willingness is more esteemed than our service ; therefore David counsels Solo- mon not only to serve God, but with a wil- ling mind, 1 Chron. xxviii. 9. The will makes sin to be worse, and makes duty to be better. To obey willingly shows we do it with love; and this crowns all our services.
II. There is that in the law -giver, which may make us A\'iliing to obey the command- ments, viz. God's indulgence to us.
(1.) God doth not r('(|uire the simimum
jus, as absolutely necessary to salvation and
expects not perfect obedience, only recjuires
OF THE SECOND COMMANDMENT.
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Mucerity. Do but act from a principle of love, and aim at honouring God in your obedience, and it is accepted.
(2.) In the times of the gospel a surety is admitted. The law would not favour us so far ; but now God doth so indulge us, that what we cannot do of ourselves, we may do by proxy. " Jesus Christ is a surety of a better testament," Heb. vii. 22. We fall short in every thing, but God looks upon us in our surety ; and Christ having fulfilled all righteousness, it is as if we had fulfilled the law in our own persons.